Dining out or in can help seriously ill kids and their families via Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon fundraiser

Home for Dinner is an easy way for foodies to make a difference

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      Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon is celebrating its fifth anniversary in its location on the grounds of BC Children’s Hospital this year, the home provides accommodation and a sense of community for 2,000 families each year who must travel to Vancouver for their children's medical treatments.

      It’s also marking the second year of Home for Dinner, a fundraising campaign that food lovers with compassion can get behind.  

      First, the need: Kids who are seriously ill often need specialized medical care that’s only available in Vancouver. Treatment for diseases like leukemia or cystic fibrosis and for diagnoses like brain tumours typically call for lengthy hospitalization. Having to travel for life-saving care adds another level of stress—emotional and financial.

      The Ronald McDonald House means families from all over B.C. and Yukon can be close to their kids undergoing treatment.

      The 73-bedroom, 74,000-square-foot home has suites for families as well as spaces like a fitness area, arts and crafts studio, LEGO lounge, magic room, and indoor and outdoor gathering spaces.

      Next, the food-focused fundraiser: Home for Dinner is a simple way to support the cause for anyone who loves to share meals with loved ones, whether it’s dining out a restaurant or in for a home-cooked dinner.

      If it’s a meal out, the organizer/host would get guests to donate their share to the Ronald McDonald House. If it’s a meal in, guests are encouraged to donate rather than bringing a gift for the host or a bottle of wine.

      People can sign up to host an event by creating a personalized fundraising page. Home for Dinner has all sorts of tips on how to make the event a success, with guides for everything from creating a customized invitation to making a menu card to fact sheets.

      In its first year, the initiative raised more than $107,000, a figure the team at Ronald McDonald House BC Yukon is hoping to surpass this year.

      “Sharing a meal with people you care about is a timeless tradition,” Richard Pass, CEO of Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon, said in a statement. “By hosting a Home for Dinner event, the community can come together to give back and make a difference in a way that is both simple and meaningful. From making family recipes to ordering take out, there are many ways to be a Home for Dinner host. It’s a little extra step that can make a world of difference to a family in need.”

       

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